The Chicago Sky are poised to embark on a new journey with Tyler Marsh, the former assistant coach of the Las Vegas Aces, now leading the team’s operations. Marsh secured the head coaching position in early November, just over a month after the Sky and Teresa Weatherspoon parted ways. During his introductory press conference on November 12, Marsh laid out his ambitious vision for the Sky.
Marsh comes to Chicago with a solid background in achieving success. He played a key role in guiding the Aces to consecutive WNBA championships in 2022 and 2023 and was also a member of the Toronto Raptors coaching staff that claimed an NBA title in 2019. Furthermore, Marsh is known for his ability to elevate the performance of some of the league’s top talents, including A’ja Wilson and Jackie Young.
The newly appointed head coach didn’t shy away from leveraging his experience with the Aces as he discussed plans to advance the team in Chicago:
‘‘I was very open in terms of what I experienced in Las Vegas,’’ Marsh said during his introductory press conference, referencing his discussions with Sky GM Jeff Pagglioca, according to Annie Costabile of the Chicago Sun-Times. ‘‘How forward-thinking they were in providing the best resources they could for the players. That’s the most important thing. I communicated where I stood, and if those weren’t things that were able to be put in place, then I would have to stay put.”
Tyler Marsh emphasized his desire to elevate the Sky in every aspect, much like the Aces have established themselves as a premier franchise.
‘‘If you’re one of the last few franchises standing in terms of adapting to where this league is going, you’re behind,’’ Marsh declared. ‘For us, we want to set trends. We want to be ahead of the curve. We want to continue to care for our players and provide the best resources possible so that they’re the most successful.”
Focus on elite player development
It is clear that one of the chief reasons Jeff Pagliocca was drawn to Tyler Marsh was his strong reputation in player development.
Marsh is widely recognized for significantly improving Jackie Young’s three-point shooting ability. He collaborated with Young both on the court and in film sessions, helping her enhance her stats from just five made threes at a 25 percent shooting rate in 2021 to 50 makes at 43.1 percent accuracy in 2022, as noted in his previous Aces coaching biography.
Marsh reiterated that prioritizing player development is central to his strategy.
‘‘It’s about the players, first and foremost. So whatever we can do to provide the right type of atmosphere for them to be as great as they are, that’s what we need to do,” Marsh expressed on Tuesday, per Costabile.
A primary challenge for Marsh will be the development of 2024 lottery picks Angel Reese and Kamilla Cardoso. Both players made the WNBA’s 2024 All-Rookie team and appear to have promising careers ahead. Will Marsh be able to assist these young stars in reaching the levels achieved by A’ja Wilson or even higher?
Sky supporters were eager for the organization to appoint a highly regarded, experienced coach, and they have found that in Tyler Marsh. Fans can look forward to seeing him evolve alongside this talented roster as they aim to secure a championship for the Windy City.
Image Source: Tyler Marsh @ Instagram
